Battery only in Herne Bay: retrofit or cheap-rate

What it costs for a Herne Bay house

Estimates, not quotes. Each bar shows the payback range on a 0 to 45 year scale, with the dark marker at how long the equipment lasts, so a bar that runs past it is a warning. Prices assume 0% VAT (ends 31 March 2027, then 5%). The plug-in payback is our arithmetic on the Energy Saving Trust figures. Full table and method.

Who it suits

• Solar is already on your roof and a lot of it goes back to the grid
• You are on, or moving to, a cheap overnight or time-of-use tariff
• You have an electric car or a heat pump
• You would sooner use your power later than sell it for a low rate

How it works

1. Tell us about your panels, your meter and your tariff.
2. We check the inverter, the fuse board and where a battery can be fixed.
3. You get a written quote and a straight view on payback.
4. Our MCS-certified installation partner fits it, normally in a day.
5. The network operator is notified and the battery is set up for your tariff.

Local notes for Herne Bay

• Added to panels you already have. Solar fitted some years ago may have an inverter that does not suit a new battery. We check first so you do not pay twice.
• On its own, on a cheap rate. A smart tariff lets the battery fill overnight and feed the house in the evening. Octopus lists Intelligent Octopus Go at 7.6p per kWh for smart charging an eligible car or charger. Check what you would be offered at your address.
• Be realistic. A battery alone saves less than panels do. Our model gives £90 to £130 a year for 5 kWh on existing solar, and the Energy Saving Trust says savings will not always justify the cost on their own. We run the numbers with you first.
• 0% VAT applies even alone. Since 1 February 2024 a battery installed on its own in a home gets 0% VAT too, until 31 March 2027 (GOV.UK VAT Notice 708/6).
• Where it goes. A garage or utility room wall close to the consumer unit is the usual spot. Where a room has ever flooded, which is a question near the Plenty Brook, we ask for the battery to be fixed at a sensible height on a wall, never on a floor that could be wet.